


Just One Night

by wiseturtlebear



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Pre-Relationship, adora doesnt understand how to process emotions and trauma and glimmer is glimmer, i just want them to be happy and have a healthy relationship, it's kind of implied that they Need Each Other but, listen they just need to fucking Communicate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 03:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21331171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiseturtlebear/pseuds/wiseturtlebear
Summary: “Well, maybe your best isn't good enough! If it was, my mother would still be here!”Adora’s eyes grew wide for a moment. The amount of raw pain in her eyes made Glimmer’s stomach turn. No, no, please—Glimmer could’ve taken hurt. She could’ve handled any rage that exploded from Adora. Fuck, she would’ve taken tears over... this.Adora just seemed to... shut down. All the life in her eyes just disappeared and her whole body went neutral. When she looked at Glimmer, it was like she was looking through her. Like she wasn’t even there..Post 4x08, Adora has a different reaction to what Glimmer says and they communicate like healthy, responsible adults. Basically a therapy session for both of my girls.
Relationships: Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 354





	Just One Night

“Well, maybe your best isn't good enough! If it was, my mother would still be here!”

The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Glimmer knew how badly she had fucked up as soon as she said those words.

It was something that slipped out in the heat of the moment, a way to twist the knife into the wound Glimmer inflicted. She hadn’t meant for _this_.

Glimmer’s hand flew to her mouth, mouth hung open in horror.

Adora’s eyes grew wide for a moment. The amount of raw pain in her eyes made Glimmer’s stomach turn. No, no, please—

Glimmer could’ve taken hurt. She could’ve handled any rage that exploded from Adora. Fuck, she would’ve taken tears over... this.

Adora just seemed to... shut down. All the life in her eyes just disappeared and her whole body went neutral. When she looked at Glimmer, it was like she was looking through her. Like she wasn’t even there.

Glimmer prayed that Adora wasn’t internalising the vitriol she just spewed. She knew — she knew — about Adora’s guilt complex and how she believed everything that has ever gone wrong is her fault. She knew that Adora would take this to heart, that she probably already believed this, so why did Glimmer say this?

“Adora,” Glimmer murmured, her voice shaking and eyes already stinging with tears.

There was no reaction, no reply. Adora just looked straight through her.

She wasn’t her friend Adora anymore. She was Adora the soldier, emotionless and silent.

What had she done?

“Adora, I’m sor—“

She never finished that apology. Mermista dragged them off to save their friends and she had gotten the opportunity to speak to Adora at all.

During the fight, Glimmer couldn’t bare to look her way. The few times she did, her stomach sank. Adora fought without bravado and in silence. Her movements were methodical, calculated. She defeated every Horde soldier with ease but never relished in it once. She was simply a soldier doing her duty.

Glimmer wanted to throw up. She caused that. Adora was probably overcompensating now because of her and her words.

“...maybe your best isn’t good enough!” Isn’t that what she said?

The words “Adora” and “not good enough” just didn’t go together, Glimmer truly believed that. But Adora would never believe that. Not after Glimmer confirmed her greatest fear.

She tried approaching Adora after the battle was done and the dust had settled.

Glimmer approached her carefully.

“Adora?” She asked, her stomach twisting in knots.

Adora had been standing at the edge of the ship, staring blankly into the horizon. She turned to Glimmer. A flicker of recognition burned in her eyes and Glimmer’s heart fluttered.

“Did I do something wrong?” Adora asked.

There was no sarcasm in her tone. Adora meant that: she fully expected Glimmer to only be speaking to her to criticise her.

“Not good enough!”

Glimmer really was going to throw up.

* * *

It was late into the evening. The group had settled into the castle after Glimmer teleported them back home. Most people were resting up after this small victory but not Glimmer.

She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. She could do nothing but think about Adora. Sweet, brave Adora who looked at Glimmer like she was the sun itself. Adora, her friend who she ruined just a few hours ago.

“My mother would still be here!”

God, of all the horrible things she could have said. Adora...

There was a knock at the door. From behind it, a voice announced, “Your majesty. I have brought Shera, as requested.”

Glimmer couldn’t live like this. Not while Adora was slowly collapsing into herself because of a lie she told. No, she had to fix this.

“Come in.” Glimmer said, forcing as much authority as she could into her voice.

The door eased open. The guards stood aside to allow Adora to walk in. The solider walked inside a few paces before kneeling.

Glimmer’s eyes grew wide with horror. Adora never did that. Never seriously. Kneeling to Glimmer was so formal, so cold, so... distant. She needed to bring her back.

“Leave us.” Glimmer said.

Soon, they were alone.

“Adora, please stand.” Glimmer said, losing all the bass in her voice.

Adora did, rising to her feet robotically. She looked at Glimmer without an ounce of emotion. Glimmer felt sick.

“My queen.” Adora said, hands wrapped around her sword hilt, “I assume this is about the recent mission.”

There was no warmth in her eyes anymore. Just emptiness. Glimmer stepped forward, saying, “Adora, stop.”

Adora ignored the pain in her voice, saying, “I will perform better on missions in future. Can we please continue this at a later date, Queen Glimmer? I must be up early tomorrow to speak with Light-Hope.”

Glimmer stepped back for a moment. She took in Adora’s form in front of her, eyeing her from head to toe. Her uniform was impeccable and her hair was pulled back into a perfect ponytail. She looked like the prime example of a model soldier. But her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked so pale under the moonlight. Glimmer doubted that she was getting much sleep at all.

“Light-Hope?” Glimmer asked, “Why are you going to see her?”

“She knows about the First Ones’ Weapon. I’ll use the weapon to turn the tide of the war and save Etheria. No matter the cost.” Adora said firmly.

_No matter the cost_. Images flashed in Glimmer’s mind. Adora charging head-first into battle, sword in hand. Her blank expression. The blood staining her shirt. A glance. Cold. _I’m so sorry_.

What cost was Adora referring to? The rebellion’s soliders? Time? Resources? Money?

Adora herself? A chill ran down Glimmer’s spine at the thought of this. She looked at Adora now, a blank slate of a person, and realised that she would do that. Adora _would_ give her life to save Etheria.

“What? Adora—“ Glimmer began, stepping towards her.

Adora looked at her. She stopped looking through Glimmer and was finally looking _at her_. When had her blue eyes grown so cold?

“I will be better.” Adora said. There was steel in her voice.

Glimmer couldn’t take this anymore. She grabbed Adora by the arms and squeezed, as if she could force her own emotions into Adora. To make her believe her. To make her do _anything_ except stare at her so blankly.

Tears stung Glimmer’s eyes. This emptiness was her fault. She had to fix this.

“Adora. I’m sorry.” Glimmer said, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Nothing. She saw nothing in Adora’s eyes but she had to keep going. Adora was in there somewhere and she wouldn’t stop until she pulled her out.

Glimmer squeezed tighter, saying, “All those things I said, I swear I didn’t mean them. Nothing that has happened was your fault, you have to understand that, Adora!”

Adora stared down at her. She wasn’t looking through her anymore but she was still so far away.

Glimmer swallowed down a lump in her throat, saying, “My mother dying...”

She hated thinking about this. She never even _saw_ her mother’s final moments. Only Adora did. And Adora had been just as devastated as she was. Glimmer knew Adora: if there had been any way for Adora to take her mother’s place, she would have without a second thought.

Glimmer continued, “…that wasn’t your fault, Adora. I blamed you for it because it was easier than admitting the truth. That she sacrificed herself for the planet. For _me_. That the last thing she heard me say was that she was a coward and I—“

She hung her head as hot tears spilled down, still gripping Adora’s arms. It hurt so much just to think about her. The guilt and the pain made her chest twist and contort until Glimmer felt like she was being eaten from the inside out.

And now she had made Adora feel the exact same way.

“I miss her so much. She was an amazing queen and I don’t know what I’m doing without her. And I’m just so scared that we’re going to lose this war and that she died for nothing and I took it out on you.” Glimmer’s voice cracked too many times to count but she meant every word.

Glimmer took a deep breath, still holding onto Adora to steady herself. Like Bow, Adora was a rock that tethered her to solid ground. She needed her, now more than ever.

Gentle — impossibly so — Adora removed Glimmer’s grip on her arms and stepped back.

Adora bowed with a hand over her chest when Glimmer’s head snapped up to look at her. She murmured, “I’ll take my leave, my queen.”

The solider began walking away.

Glimmer frowned. If Adora wanted to play loyal solider, then she’d play along, too.

Firmly, Glimmer said, “Adora, I order you to stop!”

She didn’t her strides grew longer. Glimmer whimpered and rushed towards her.

“Adora!” She called.

She was only a few steps away now, growing ever closer but not stopping. Glimmer didn’t know what to do or how to stop her anymore.

So she did the only thing that came naturally to her.

Wrapping her arms around Adora from behind, Glimmer sobbed in between her shoulder blades, “I need you!”

Adora froze in her embrace. Glimmer could feel the tension in her body as she held her. Glimmer only held tighter, smushing her face into Adora’s back as she cried.

She couldn’t let Adora go. Not Adora.

Glimmer murmured into Adora’s jacket, saying, “You’ve been my friend for so long. You fought by my side, you’ve been there when I needed you. But lately I haven’t been there for you. Let me be here now.”

Silence filled the room. Glimmer expected Adora to pull away and that thought made her heart clench painfully. She knew that if Adora walked out that door right now, their friendship would never be the same. So Glimmer hugged her even tighter.

That’s when she felt Adora’s shoulders shake. It was so tiny that Glimmer thought she imagined them at first. Then they continued, followed by irregular breathing from Adora.

Glimmer’s hands slipped away from Adora’s sides and rested against her hips.

“Look at me.” She commanded. There was no room for discussion.

Adora did so, only needing the gentlest push of Glimmer’s hands. Adora’s head hung low but when Glimmer looked up at her, she saw Adora’s scrunched up face. She was crying, red-faced and upset at herself for crying.

Glimmer’s heart clenched. She had never been happier or sadder to see Adora crying. Glimmer was sad because she caused this, those tears were because of her words. But she was happy because Adora was feeling _something_. All Glimmer had to do was grip with both hands and pull Adora to the surface.

She reached up and cupped Adora’s face.

“Oh, Adora.” Glimmer murmured, wiping away tears with her thumbs, “You are more than enough. You always have been. I’m so sorry for what I said, I swear I only said it to hurt you.”

Adora only sobbed harder. She gripped Glimmer’s wrists with her hands and said, “I’m supposed to protect you.”

Glimmer’s thumbs stilled against her skin as she asked, “Adora?”

Adora screwed her face up, saying, “The last thing your mother asked of me was to protect Etheria. To protect you.”

The lump in Glimmer’s throat was painful. Of course she said that. Her mother was looking out for Glimmer right until the very end. She loved her, despite what Glimmer had said to her.

Glimmer let out a small sob as her vision grew blurry with tears.

“I need to be better. I have to save Etheria. I have to protect everyone, they’re all counting on me and I—“ Adora had to cut her rant short when she choked on the lump in her throat.

The tears spilled freely down both of their cheeks now. Adora bent her down and pressed her forehead against Glimmer’s. It was so intimate, so warm. Nothing like how Adora had been before. _This_ was her Adora.

Glimmer ran her thumbs across Adora’s cheekbones, murmuring, “Let it out. Crying is good, Adora.”

Adora only cried harder and it broke Glimmer’s heart. She never wanted this. Making Adora cry was like blotting out the sun — Adora was the sun in Glimmer’s life, she realised.

She forced out through tears, “I can’t protect anyone! I-It’s all my fault. I’m _Shera_, I’m supposed to—“

Glimmer cut her off, firmly saying, “You are Adora first. None of this is your fault. If I have to tell you that every day for you to believe it, I will. I will never forgive myself for making you think any of this was your fault.”

Adora shook her head against Glimmer’s skin. She gripped Adora’s face harder, afraid that Adora would take off at any second. Glimmer couldn’t let Adora leave like this. She needed to take care of her.

“Stay. Don’t go. Just stay here with me.” Glimmer whispered, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Adora sniffled and Glimmer pulled away just an inch. Violet eyes met blue.

“I need you.” She said, “Adora, I love you. So please... just stay.”

There was a war going on inside Adora. Glimmer could see it raging on in her eyes. Just one night was all she needed to soothe Adora’s heart. Just one. All she needed was for Adora to give in. To trust her.

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long time. Time ticked on outside that room but to them, they were frozen in that moment. Glimmer could only hear her own heart beating in her ears.

“Stay.”

Adora looked so conflicted as she shut her eyes and leaned their foreheads together again. Glimmer let her, knowing how touch-starved Adora was and how she only allowed rare moments like this to feed that craving.

Glimmer prayed she would stay. And then she felt Adora’s head nod and Glimmer felt her knees buckle with relief.

One night. Glimmer promised she’d fix all of this in one night, and Adora was giving her that chance now. She would never lose Adora again.


End file.
